Boston Herald Joe Battenfeld column

March 25--It's not quite up there with, "If you like your plan, you can keep it," but Joe Biden's sudden urge to visit New Hampshire qualifies as White House whopper of the week.

"The vice president will highlight workforce development and the value of on-the-job training," a White House release says of Biden's taxpayer-funded trip to Nashua today.

No, no, it has nothing to do with Scott Brown. It's just a coincidence the vice president will be traveling to the same Granite State city where just 11 days ago Brown announced he had taken the first step toward challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

The media and late-night comedians apparently aren't the only ones obsessed with Brown. President Obama and the Democratic attack machine have gone into overdrive since the former Massachusetts senator crossed the border to restart his political career in his new home state. A few days ago, Obama -- no doubt tricked by the relentless gotcha questioning of NECN reporter Alison King -- took a shot at the former Wrentham lawmaker who embarrassed him in 2010 by defeating Democrat Martha Coakley.

"I'd be happy if Scott Brown wants to move down to Texas," Obama said.

Get it? Obama's making a funny about Brown's move to New Hampshire. And he didn't even need a teleprompter.

Brown responded to that jab by daring Obama to campaign with Shaheen in New Hampshire, and the next day the White House announced the president's understudy would be making the trip to Nashua with Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.

Biden's trip to the job training center is "official" -- not political -- so that means we get stuck with most of the bill. The vice president also will be making a quick fundraising stop in New Hampshire where he no doubt will have a few zingers of his own for Brown.

But New Hampshire Democrats apparently didn't get the White House memo about the phony reason for the trip. They say the veep's visit will "highlight the clear contrast between the Democratic Party's clear vision of progress" and Republicans' "radical social agenda."

And Biden's trip will be the perfect chance for Shaheen to show up and brag about her support of the Obama administration's agenda, right? Actually, Shaheen's office says she will be a no-show for the Biden "job training" event. That's because the incumbent Democrat is more concerned with keeping her own job.

While Shaheen remains relatively popular, the president's approval ratings have taken a nosedive in New Hampshire. Voters there seem to be unhappy about the fact that Obamacare has forced many of them to find new health insurance plans and doctors, and drive long distances to get to a hospital.

But Obama couldn't resist getting in the middle of the Granite State's new political war. So he's upping the stakes by sending the guy who swore in Brown to the U.S. Senate.</p>

Obama probably will be next to head to New Hampshire. He seems to be offended by Brown calling on voters to throw out all the "Obamacare Democrats." This is personal for the president.

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